DAISY Consortium is one of 25 innovators from around the world recognized for applying technology to benefit humanity
(San Jose, California and Missoula, Montana, USA) September 10, 2008 – The DAISY Consortium was today named a 2008 Tech Awards Laureate, one of 25 global innovators recognized each year for applying technology to benefit humanity and spark global change. The Tech Awards, a signature program of The Tech Museum of Innovation, and presented by Applied Materials, Inc., selected the DAISY Consortium from among hundreds of nominations representing 68 countries. The DAISY Standard (officially ANSI/NISO z39.86 Specifications for the Digital Talking Book) has revolutionized the reading experience.
The DAISY Consortium is nominated for the 2008 Katherine M. Swanson Equality Award for developing AMIS software, which implements synthetic speech to make text and multi-media information available to people who have print disabilities such as visual impairments, cognitive or learning disabilities such as dyslexia, and people who are unable to hold a keyboard or printed publication. More information about the DAISY Consortium and the DAISY Standard is available at http://www.daisy.org/.
The Tech Awards: Technology Benefiting Humanity is one of the premier annual humanitarian awards programs in the world, recognizing technical solutions that benefit humanity and address the most critical issues facing our planet and its people. The awards program honors 25 scientists and innovators annually alongside the recipient of the Global Humanitarian Award. Laureates are selected by a panel of international judges organized by the Center for Science, Technology, and Society at Santa Clara University, and made up of Santa Clara University faculty as well as leaders from educational and research institutions, industry and the public sector around the world.
“This year’s international roster of Laureates demonstrates the exceptional and creative applications of both high and low-tech solutions to change the world,” said Peter Friess, president of The Tech. “By celebrating the accomplishments of these 25 Laureates, we are encouraging future innovators to harness the incredible power and promise of technology to solve the challenges that confront us and make the world healthier, safer and more sustainable.”
Established in 2000, The Tech Awards recognize 25 Laureates in five universal categories: education, equality, environment, economic development and health. These Laureates have developed new technological solutions or innovative ways to use existing technologies for improving the lives of people around the world. One Laureate in each category will receive a $50,000 cash prize during the annual Awards Gala in San Jose, California on November 12.
This year, the 2008 Laureates represent the global vision of the program, coming from countries such as Senegal, Peru, Hungary, Canada, Namibia, Germany, Egypt, India, United Kingdom, Laos and the United States.
Key sponsors supporting The Tech Awards include Applied Materials, Inc., Intel Corporation, Accenture, Microsoft, The Swanson Foundation, BD Biosciences, Polycom, Genentech, Wells Fargo, SAP, eBay, KPMG, Cadence, The Quattrone Foundation, Omidyar Network, NASDAQ OMX, HP, Google, Cisco, Scott Cook and Signe Ostby, NBC11, Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, The Fairmont San Jose, Montgomery Hotel, Marriott San Jose, American Airlines and Siltronic. Key partners include Santa Clara University’s Center for Science, Technology, and Society, World Federation of United Nations Associations, United Nations Development Programme, World Bank Institute, Catholic Relief Services, The CORE Group, National Center for Technology Innovation and Opportunity International.
For more information about The Tech Awards, visit http://www.techawards.org/.
The Tech Museum of Innovation is a hands-on technology and science museum for people of all ages and backgrounds. Located in San Jose, California – the Capital of Silicon Valley – its mission, as a public-benefit corporation, is to inspire the innovator in everyone. Through hands-on exhibits, educational programs, the annual Tech Challenge team competition for youth, and the internationally recognized Tech Awards, presented by Applied Materials, Inc., The Tech Museum of Innovation honors the past, celebrates the present, and encourages the development of innovative ideas for a more promising future. For more information about The Tech Museum of Innovation, visit http://www.thetech.org/.
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